Projects of strategic importance have the status to enable construction however typically lack the comparable infrastructure to ensure they are meeting industry best practice. Turning to overseas industry is fraught with issues such as grid compatibility, different operating philosophies and design beyond Australian Standards guidance. How is it possible to benchmark construction to best practice when it is not always known?

WSP has served as Owners Engineer on some of Australia’s largest grid scale BESS projects, most notably the Waratah Super Battery, Liddell and Hazlewood BESS projects. The two most common questions asked when developing the design and commencing construction are; will it be compliant; and have we meet industry best practice. These simple questions have complex answers, that evolve into further questions, such as:

• How well do the current standards cover the project?
• How long will the installation be considered best practice?
• Can the OEM deliver something comparable with Australian Standards?
• How do I defend my investment if we get it wrong?

WSP’s presentation will share some real examples of making these decisions and how to achieve best practice whilst meeting Australian Standards compliance obligations.

Features

Attendees will learn:

• Discussion on the current state of Grid Scale BESS compliance and issues facing design and construction.
• How to identify and define gaps and/or contradictions in standards, legislation, guidelines, etc.
• Processes for working through gaps and contradictions.
• Examples of Grid Scale BESS compliance issues and how these were managed.
• Strategies for working through conflicts when compliance does not appear to be met.

Speakers

Scott Mitchell | Technical Executive - Electrical Infrastructure | WSP Australia

Scott Mitchell is the Technical Executive – Electrical Infrastructure within WSP’s Energy business. He holds degrees from the University of Newcastle & University of Queensland, is a Fellow of Engineers Australia and has over 20 years’ experience. Scott was previously the Head of Electrical Engineering for Eraring Energy and Hunter Water. Since joining WSP, Scott has worked on some of Australia’s largest energy storage projects including Waratah Super Battery and the Liddell BESS. He has also led numerous transmission & electrification projects for clients in energy, water, defense and transport. Scott is interested in leveraging experience from coal fired generation into the new energy space.

Contact Details:

E-mail: scott.mitchell@wsp.com

LinkedIn: Scott Mitchell | LinkedIn

WSP Australia - Energy

WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services consulting firms. Comprised of over 67,000 employees globally, we are dedicated to our local communities and propelled by international brainpower. We provide support for the world’s largest projects and work with cutting edge innovation. The Australian energy team is comprised of three major groups covering Renewables, Generation and Transmission & Electrification. Our services range from feasibility through to asset management, including grid connection studies, technical due diligence, detailed design and advisory services. We can provide unique capability that is tempered by experience to every project we deliver.